Robinson's Podcast

David Albert is the Frederick E. Woodbridge Professor of Philosophy at Columbia University and Director of the Philosophical Foundations of Physics program at Columbia. David is a prior guest of the Robinson’s Podcast multiverse, having appeared on episodes #23 (with Justin Clarke-Doane), #30, and #67 (with Tim Maudlin). Sean Carroll is Homewood Professor of Natural Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University and fractal faculty at the Santa Fe Institute. He is also host of Sean Carroll’s Mindscape, a terrific show (that influenced the birth of Robinson’s Podcast ) about science, society, philosophy, culture, arts, and ideas. Sean also had a great conversation with David on Mindscape, linked below. Both David and Sean are rare breeds—philosophers who are physicists, and physicists who are philosophers—and in this episode Robinson, David, and Sean speak about some of the philosophical concerns at the foundations of physics. They first discuss the Many-Worlds theory of quantum mechanics before turning to the apparent fine-tuning of our universe for life and the possibility of Boltzmann Brains, or complex observers in the universe that arise spontaneously due to quantum fluctuations or the random motion of matter. Preorder David’s A Guess at the Riddle: https://a.co/d/4MUEJZN Sean’s Website: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com Sean’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/seanmcarroll The Biggest Ideas in the Universe: https://a.co/d/dPKZ40X David Albert on Sean Carroll’s Mindscape: https://youtu.be/AglOFx6eySE  OUTLINE 00:00 In This Episode… 00:59 Introduction 08:11 Superposition and The Many-Worlds Theory of Quantum Mechanics 22:34 Decoherence 27:20 Probability 41:32 Some Thought Experiments Concerning Probability 01:08:35 Parsimony 01:12:03 The Fine-Tuned Universe and Quantum Theory 01:14:52 Entropy 01:45:37 Intelligent Design 01:47:22 Boltzmann Brains Galore Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between. 

Luciano Floridi is the Oxford Internet Institute’s Professor of Philosophy and Ethics of Information at the University of Oxford, Distinguished Research Fellow of the Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics of the Faculty of Philosophy, and Research Associate and Fellow in Information Policy of the Department of Computer Science. Beginning in the fall, he will be the Founding Director of the Digital Ethics Center and Professor of Cognitive Science at Yale University. For much of the past twenty-five years Luciano has been developing the philosophy of information as its own free-standing discipline within the philosophical world. In this episode he and Robinson delve into just one small corner of the subject. They talk about Luciano’s view of artificial intelligence as a novel form of agency before turning to some future applications of AI and the novel ethical considerations its use raises in the modern world. Luciano’s Website: https://www.philosophyofinformation.net Luciano’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Floridi Information: A Very Short Introduction: https://a.co/d/5Jgq1wS OUTLINE 00:00 In This Episode… 01:04 Introduction 04:58 Luciano’s Tetralogy 09:27 Artificial Intelligence as a New Form of Agency 26:49 Future Applications of AI 32:50 Ethics and Levels of Explanation 46:09 The Ethics of AI Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between. 

Nicholas Christakis is the Sterling Professor of Social and Natural Science at Yale University, where he is also Director of the Human Nature Lab and Co-Director of the Yale Institute for Network Science. Nicholas is both a sociologist and a physician; after completing his undergraduate at Yale in biology, he received an M.D. and M.P.H. from Harvard and then a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Pennsylvania. Nicholas has written numerous books, including Apollo’s Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live (Little, Brown Spark, 2020) and Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society (Little, Brown Spark, 2019), and this latter book is the subject of this episode. Robinson and Nicholas first discuss the way that genetics manifest themselves in behavior before turning to the way that specific behaviors and tendencies have evolved in humans to promote the flourishing of societies. They then talk about some particular such behaviors and tendencies, like in-group bias and hierarchy, before turning to some implications of the view for how societies ought or ought not to be structured. Nicholas’s Website: https://www.humannaturelab.net Nicholas’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/NAChristakis Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society: https://a.co/d/4BeJyS0 OUTLINE 00:00 In This Episode… 01:16 Introduction 04:28 The Motivation Behind Blueprint 23:02 The Genetic Basis of Human Societies 28:27 What Is Network Topology? 38:28 Trade-Complementarity 42:07 The Cultural Universality of Love 48:12 The Eight Cultural Universals 01:02:06 Is Hierarchy Natural? 01:07:13 Human In-Group Bias 01:12:23 Is There a Relationship Between Genes and Social Status? Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between. 

In this discussion, Brad Schoenfeld, a leading authority on muscular development and author of the textbook on hypertrophy, shares insights on muscle growth. He delves into the science of muscular hypertrophy, differentiating between muscle growth and hyperplasia. Brad explains the roles of satellite cells and highlights the importance of mechanical tension, metabolic stress, and muscle damage. He also discusses optimal training variables like rest intervals and range of motion to maximize muscle growth, challenging common myths about workout routines.

Stephen Wolfram, founder and CEO of Wolfram Research, dives into the mechanics of ChatGPT and its implications for intelligence and philosophy. He discusses the Turing Test and whether AI can truly replicate human creativity. The conversation explores how advanced computational techniques like the Ruliad could reshape our understanding of mathematics and consciousness. Wolfram also touches on the philosophical dimensions of STEM research and the role of automation in math, emphasizing the ongoing interplay between human thought and machine intelligence.

Paul Bloom is Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Yale University and Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto. He works quite broadly in psychology, and studies how children and adults make sense of the world, with special focus on pleasure, morality, religion, fiction, and art. Paul is the author of seven books, most recently Psych: The Story of the Human Mind, some of the topics of which constitute the subject of this episode. More particularly, Paul and Robinson discuss Freud’s legacy in contemporary psychology, mental illness, human rationality and irrationality, and the roots of motivation. Paul has also recently been producing a fantastic podcast with his friend and colleague David Pizarro—also called Psych—that covers many of the topics in introductory courses to psychology, and it comes highly recommended. Psych (Book): https://a.co/d/eYNR4q7 Psych (Podcast): https://psych.fireside.fm Paul’s Website: https://paulbloom.net Paul’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/paulbloomatyale OUTLINE 00:00 In This Episode… 01:10 Introduction 06:09 Writing Psych 08:30 What is Mental Illness? 23:40 Freud versus Contemporary Psychology 36:31 Psychoanalysis versus Contemporary Therapeutic Modalities 52:13 Is Man THE Rational Animal? 58:24 The Psychological Roots of Our Irrationality 01:17:46 The My-Side Bias and Political Gridlock 01:24:47 The Psychological Roots of Human Motivation 01:52:24 Susan Carey Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between. 

Steven Pinker is Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology at Harvard University. He is an experimental cognitive psychologist who writes on language, mind, and human nature. In this episode—the hundredth of Robinson’s Podcast (!)—Robinson and Steve talk about his recent book Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters (Penguin, 2022), which is linked below. More particularly, they discuss rationality’s evolutionary basis, how it is subverted by conspiratorial thinking and other dimensions of the “mythology mindset”, how it relates to enlightenment and human progress, and the state of free speech at Harvard and in the academic world at large. Rationality: https://a.co/d/9N2uFyr Steven’s Website: https://stevenpinker.com Steven’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/sapinker OUTLINE 00:00 In This Episode… 00:58 Introduction 06:31 The Importance of Rationality 10:16 The Connection Between Language and Rationality  14:18 Rationality and Human Progress 20:09 The Evolution of Rationality and Irrationality 34:08 Conspiracy Theories and the Mythology Mindset 40:13 The Madness of Crowds 49:42 Free Speech, Enlightenment, and Rationality 55:55 Free Speech Versus Social Justice 01:03:03 Academic Freedom at Harvard Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between. 

Nancy Sherman is Distinguished University Professor and Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University. Before that, she taught at Yale and did her graduate work in ancient philosophy at Harvard University. Nancy has worked broadly across value theory and ancient philosophy, writing on such varied topics as military ethics, moral psychology, the emotions, and Stoicism. The occasion for this episode is Nancy’s recent book, Stoic Wisdom: Ancient Lessons for Modern Resilience (Oxford, 2021), which is now available in paperback, and linked below. Nancy and Robinson discuss what contemporary takes on Stoicism get wrong—they miss the emphasis on connection and community—as well as the relationship between Stoicism and Aristotle, the military, and mental health. Stoic Wisdom: https://a.co/d/7UAGj8i Nancy’s Website: https://www.nancysherman.com Nancy’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/drnancysherman OUTLINE 00:00 In This Episode 00:44 Introduction 03:20 Nancy’s Interest in Stoicism and the Military 10:35 Stoicism and Life Hacks 21:00 Aristotelian and Stoic Ethics 30:05 Stoic Metaethics 34:33 Stoicism and War 45:19 Stoicism and Military Education 51:57 Nancy’s Mental Health Experience 59:43 Stoic Wisdom Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between. 

Dani S. Bassett is the J. Peter Skirkanich Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania. Perry Zurn is Provost Associate Professor of Philosophy at American University. Dani and Perry both do a great deal of interdisciplinary work within their fields, but Dani is best known for her work in systems neuroscience, while Perry’s research is primarily in political philosophy. The subject of this episode, however—though systems neuroscience and political philosophy both make their appearances—is Dani and Perry’s book, Curious Minds: The Power of Connection (MIT, 2022). While it wouldn’t be immediately apparent from their different fields of study, Dani and Perry are in fact identical twins, and they write that their book “represents the thought of one mind and two bodies” as they explore the nature of curiosity from both philosophical and neuroscientific perspectives, developing an account of curiosity that stresses the relationship between ideas and people. Robinson, Dani, and Perry discuss complex systems, how curiosity has been studied from a variety of different academic perspectives, the three curiosity-embodying archetypes they have identified, knowledge networks, large language models, and more. Curious Minds: https://a.co/d/3MeVY7m Dani’s Website: http://www.danisbassett.com Perry’s Website: https://www.perryzurn.com Dani’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/DaniSBassett Perry’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/perryzurn OUTLINE 00:00 In This Episode… 00:52 Introduction 03:42 Human Curiosity? 06:07 Complex Systems 07:22 Curiosity from a Psychological Perspective 13:09 A Network Account of Curiosity 18:40 Foucault and Great Lakes Philosophy 29:39 Building Knowledge Networks 43:08 Walks through Knowledge Networks 57:25 Curiosity, Large Language Models, and Education Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between. 

Brian Leiter is Karl N. Llewellyn Professor of Jurisprudence at the University of Chicago Law School, founder and Director of Chicago’s Center for Law, Philosophy & Human Values, and is best known in the philosophical world for his work on Nietzsche and legal philosophy. He is the founding editor of the Routledge Philosophers book series, Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Law, and Philosophical Gourmet Report, which is the canonical—as well as extremely helpful and illuminating—ranking of philosophy departments and PhD programs in the English-speaking world. He also maintains the world’s most popular philosophy blog, Leiter Reports. In this episode, Robinson and Brian discuss Karl Marx and a current book he is co-writing with Jaime Edwards for the Routledge Philosophers book series. Among the topics they discuss are Historical Materialism, ideology, Marx’s critique of capitalism, and exploitation. Brian’s latest book is Moral Psychology with Nietzsche (Oxford, 2021). Brian’s Website: https://www.brianleiter.net Brian’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianLeiter Leiter Reports: https://leiterreports.typepad.com Moral Psychology with Nietzsche: https://a.co/d/3dJZBeZ OUTLINE 00:00 In This Episode… 00:50 Introduction 06:38 Brian’s Interest in Marx 13:22 Historical Materialism 33:06 Big Business and Diversity 40:16 Ideology 58:04 Is Historical Materialism True? 01:01:45 Exploitation 01:11:38 Is Brian a Marxist?